Closure sleeve for cellular article and locking means therefor



United States Patent [72] Inventor Alfred Eisenberg 325 N. Elizabeth St., Chicago, Illinois 60607 [21] Appl. No. 750,530

[22] Filed Aug. 6, 1968 [45] Patented Nov. 24, 1970 [54] CLOSURE SLEEVE FOR CELLULAR ARTICLE AND LOCKING MEANS THEREFOR 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 229/10, 229/28, 229/29, 229/40, 229/51 {51] Int. Cl 865d 5/38, B65d 5/48 [50] Field ol'Search 229/10,

29/24E, 29F, 5118, S IRC, 51D, 29D, 40, 28

Primary Examiner.loseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman Attorney- Hill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson ABSTRACT: Closure for egg cartons and the like in the form ofa hexagonal sleeve having flat parallel top and bottom walls of the width of the bottom of the egg carton and having angular sidewalls converging to apices intermediate the top and bottom of the carton. The sleeve has at least one locking tab pressable inwardly into the space between two cells of the egg carton and generally conforming to the walls of these cells to engage the walls of adjacent cells and lock the sleeve in position. A release opening is provided in the bottom of the carton. This opening is normally concealed and affords access to the locking tab to accommodate release of the tab by the finger, when it is desired to withdraw a loaded egg carton from the sleeve, without destroying the locking tab. One sidewall of the sleeve is in the form of a tear strip, the opposite edges of which extend along the adjacent corners of the sidewall and are defined by the corners ofthe closure sleeve.

Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,542,279

A Z3 Z4 5 Z9 I 2.5

INVENTOR. '44 Fk'D f/Sf/VBERG BY 4 vg ATTORNEYS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore egg cartons have been enclosed by sleeves formed from cardboard and like materialsin which the adjacent edges of the sidewalls of the blank forming the sleeve are defined by score lines in the blank and in which a tear strip extends along at least one wall of the sleeve. Such sleeves are locked to the cellular egg cartons by inwardly pressable tabs, which are usually located at opposite ends and opposite corners of the sleeve. Such a sleeve is shown in my US. Pat. No. 3,352,477,dated Aug.8, 1967.

While such sleeves have been found to be extremely satisfactory for enclosing and protecting egg cartons, in forming the blank to the required sleeve, the blank is quite frequently bent along one margin of the tear strip, rather than the proper score line, with the result that the misformed sleeve does not properly fit its egg carton and must be discarded. With such sleeves at least two locking tabs are required to lock the sleeve to the carton and these locking tabs are located at the ends ofthe carton where they may readily be released with the result that the sleeve may become lost from the carton or misplaced on the carton and thereby inoperative to retain all of the eggs to the carton.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The closure sleeve of the present invention eliminates the foregoing disadvantages by forming one of the narrow walls of the sleeve in the form of a tear strip with the slit edges of the.

may fit to release the locking tab, and locate this release opening in a bottom wall of the sleeve.

A principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an improved stackable closure for egg cartons and the like in the form of an open ended sleeve and arranged with a view toward accommodating uniform folding of the blank into the form of the sleeve.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved form of closure sleeve for cellular articles such as egg cartons and the like in which a tear strip forms one wall of the sleeve and the slit tearable portions of the tear strip extend along adjacent corners of the formed sleeve.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of closure sleeve for cellular articles such as egg cartons and the like having a locking means inwardly pressable to have locking engagement with an egg carton, in which themeans for releasing the locking means is not readily apparent.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an im proved form of closure sleeve for egg cartons and the like with a locking tab disposed intermediate the ends of the sleeve and integrally formed with two adjacent walls of the carton and pressable inwardly to conform to the cellular egg pockets of the carton in which a concealed release opening is provided to accommodate intentional release of the locking tab when required, but prevent unauthorized release of the locking tab.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partial fragmentary view in side elevation of a closure sleeve constructed in accordance with the principles ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken through the closure sleeve and egg carton shown in FIG. 1 showing the closure sleeve locked to the egg carton; and

.FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a sleeve blank prior to folding the blank to the form of a sleeve.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, I have shown a molded cellular carton 10 such as is used for eggs and the like, closed by a closure sleeve lli f j'etaining eggs to the carton and forming a stackable closure :lfraving flat top and bottom surfaces accommodating the stacking of the cartons one on top of the other.

The egg carton 10 may be molded from wood pulp, plastic or any other suitable material and includes a plurality of cells or egg containing pockets 12 having side walls 13 sloping upwardly from the bottoms of the egg carton at relatively steep angles and substantially conforming to the bottom halves of eggs-contained within the egg pockets. The sidewalls 13 of the egg pockets 12 extending along the outer sides of the carton terminate into a generally horizontally extending rim 15 extending outwardly of the pockets along opposite sides and ends of the carton. Certain ofthe egg pockets 12 have protective posts which extend upwardly of the center of each cluster of egg pockets above the rim 15 and terminate at an elevation slightly greater than the height of the average egg. The protective posts 16 engage the under side of a horizontal top wall 17 of the closure sleeve 11, to retain the closure sleeve in extended relation, with the top wall 17 flat, and to accommodate stacking of the cartons one on top of the other and to thereby protect the eggs when the cartons are stacked. Protective posts 16 may also extend above the rim 15 ofthe egg carton at opposite ends of the carton.

The closure sleeve 11 is shown in FIG. 2 as being generally hexagonal in form, having a bottom wall 19 extending for the width of the bottoms-of the egg pockets of the carton. Angular sidewalls 20 and 20 diverge outwardly of the bottom wall 19 to positions adjacent the rim 15 of the carton. Diverging sidewalls 21 and 21" form angularly inwardly extending continuations of the sidewalls 2t) and 20 and converge to the top wall 17 of the sleeve and generally conform to the form of the eggs extending above the rim 15 of the carton, to retain the eggs in place in the carton and to protect the eggs from damage.

Asshown in FIG. 3 the sleeve 11 is formed from a flat blank which may be made from paperboard or a like material. The bottom wall 19 of the. blank is defined at one side thereof by alined score lines 22. The opposite boundary or corner of the bottom wall 19 is defined by a similar score line (not shown). The lower side of the sidewall 20 is also defined by the score line 22 while the upper side of the sidewall 20 is defined by a plurality aL alined longitudinally spaced and longitudinally extending slits 23, 23 extending for the length of the sleeve and connected together by triangular gussets 24 extending from the sidewall 20 into the marginal edge of the angular sidewall 21 and cooperating with the slits 23 to provide a readily tearable edge between the walls 20 and 21. The opposite edge of the wall 21 and the adjacent edge of the top wall 17 is formed by similar spaced longitudinally extending alined slits 25 connected together by triangular gussets 26 extending from the top wall 17 to provide a readily tearable opposite edge of the angular wall 21. The entire angular wall 21 thus forms a tear strip in which the opposite edges of the tear strip extend along two corners of the sleeve to accommodate ready opening of the sleeve by tearing, in which the slits of the tear strip take the place of the usual score lines about which the blank is bent, and thereby assure bending of the blank along the proper bend lines.

A locking tab 29 is provided to retain the closure sleeve 11 to its carton 10, which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 as being intermediate the ends of the sleeve. The locking tab 29 is shown as being of an hourglass form, one large cross-sectional area end of which extends from a score line 30 in the bottom wall 19 while the opposite large cross-sectional area end of which extends from a score line 31 in the angular sidewall 20. The score lines 30 and 3! are parallel to each other and parallel to the score line 22 at the adjacent ends of the walls 19 and 2t A score line 32 extends across the central portion of the locking tab 29 in alinement with the score lines 22 at the junction between the walls 19 and 20. The opposite sides of the locking tab 29 are formed by slits 33 generally arcuate in form and connecting the ends of the score lines 30, 32 and 31 together, to form a tab generally conforming to the space between two egg pockets 12 ofthe carton l0.

inwardly pressable flaps 35 extend along opposite sides of the locking tab 29 to accommodate the finger to readily move the locking tab 29 inwardly to the locking position shown in FIG. 2 and to then accommodate ready withdrawal of the finger. The outer margins of the flaps 35 are defined by score lines 36 extending from the ends of the score lines 31 to the score lines 22 and diverging from the locking tab toward the score lines 22 to provide ample space for relatively large fingers. The adjacent ends of the flaps 35 are defined by slits 37 in alinernent with the score lines 22 and 32. Thus, as the locking tab 29 is depressed to its locking position shown in FlG. 2, the flaps 35 accommodate free movement of the finger inwardly, and as the finger is withdrawn the flaps 35 will be drawn outwardly by the finger to generally conform to the walls 19 and 20 of the carton.

A means is provided affording access to the locking tab 29 to accommodate release of said locking tab by the finger. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 this means comprises an access opening 39 in the bottom wall 19 of the sleeve, spaced inwardly of the locking tab 29 and accommodating the insertion of the finger within the sleeve into engagement with the locking tab 29 to press said locking tab outwardly in position to accommodate release of the egg carton from the sleeve 11. The access opening 39 being in the bottom wall 19 of the sleeve is concealed from the average individual and prevents release of the locking tab 29 except when it is desired to intentionally withdraw the egg carton 10 from the sleeve 11. The locking tab 2% also being intermediate the ends of the sleeve and being protected by the egg pockets 12 when in its locked position and conforming to the forms of said egg pockets cannot readily be released without destroying the locking tab, except through the access opening 39.

While l have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variations and modifications in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

1 claim:

l. ln a packaging device for eggs and the like:

a cellular carton having a plurality of egg pockets therein connected together at the tops thereof and separated along the bottoms of the pockets;

a closure sleeve having flat bottom and top walls and sidewalls connecting said bottom and top walls together and conforming generally to the form of the carton and the eggs contained therein, and slidable over the carton to cover the carton and retain the eggs thereto;

a locking tab extending along the bottom and one sidewall of said closure sleeve, converging from its opposite ends toward its center to conform said locking tab to the space between two egg pockets, and pressable inwardly into the space between two adjacent egg pockets to engage the walls of the pockets to retain the sleeve to said carton when pressed inwardly by the finger; and

inwardly pressable flaps extending along each side of said.

locking tab and having faces generally conforming to the converging form of said locking tab and hinged to said flat bottom and sidewall along lines diverging from said locking tab to enable the finger to press said locking tab into a locking position and to release the finger when withdrawn therefrom. 2, An egg-packaging device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a finger opening is provided in said flat bottom spaced inwardly of and in alinement with said locking tab, to accommodate release of said locking tab by the finger.

3. In a packaging device for eggs and the like:

a cellular carton having a plurality of egg pockets therein connected together at the tops thereof and separated along the bottoms of said pockets;

a hexagonal closure sleeve having flat bottom and top walls and angular sidewalls connecting said bottom and top walls together and hingedly connected together along their adjacent ends;

score lines of equal length in the flat bottom and an adjacent angular sidewall parallel with each other and in the same relative positions from the ends of said flat bottom and angular sidewall;

arcuate slits extending through said bottom and sidewall and connecting the ends of said score lines together to form a portion of said locking tab of least cross-sectional area in registry with the juncture of said flat bottom and said angular sidewall extending therefrom;

a score line extending along the portion of said locking tab of least cross-sectional area in alinement with the junc ture between said flat bottom and angular sidewall, to form a locking tab of generally hourglass form pressable inwardly by the finger to fit between two egg pockets and retain said sleeve thereto;

flaps extending along each side of said locking tab along said flat bottom and the associated angular sidewall and having inner faces generally conforming to the form of said locking tab and defined by the slits forming opposite faces of said locking tab; and

said flaps being hinged about score lines extending from opposite ends of said score lines, of equal length and diverging therefrom, to the juncture of said fiat bottom and angular sidewall and being slit along the juncture of said flat bottom with said angular sidewall to accommodate the finger to press said locking tab into a locking position and to be freely withdrawn from said locking tab and bring said flaps into general alinement with a said flat bottom and angular sidewall.

4. An egg-packaging device in accordance with claim 3, in which a release opening is provided in said flat bottom spaced inwardly of and in alinement with said locking tab to accommodate release of said locking tab from the inside of said sleeve by the finger.

5. in a packaging device for eggs and the like, and in combination with a molded egg carton having a plurality of egg pockets therein joined together along their upper extremities and separated beneath said upper extremities and having a plurality of protective posts extending along said egg pockets, closure means for said egg carton comprising:

a generally hexagonal open ended sleeve slidable over the carton and generally conforming to the carton and the eggs contained therein;

said sleeve having a flat bottom, a parallel flat top and angular sidewalls diverging angularly outwardly from said fiat top and said flat bottom and joined intermediate the top and bottom of said egg carton;

said sleeve having score lines defining the corners of at least four walls thereof and having a tear strip defining the corner of two other walls thereof; and

a locking tab extending along the bottom and one angular sidewall of said sleeve intermediate the ends of the carton and having converging portions hinged to said flat bottom and to said adjacent angular sidewall of equal length and converging to the juncture between said flat bottom and said angular sidewall and hinged along the juncture of said flat bottom and said angular sidewall; and

release flaps on opposite sides of said locking tab to accommodate the finger to readily press said locking tab into a locked position and to be freely withdrawn therefrom.

6. An egg-packaging device in accordance with claim 5,

wherein said flat bottom has a finger access opening therein spaced inwardly of and in alinement with said locking tab and together and converge from said score lines toward each other to the juncture between said flat-bottom and the associated angular sidewall;

wherein a score line extends along a portion of the locking tab of reduced cross-sectional area in alinement with the juncture between said flat bottom and angular sidewall,

and cooperates with said arcuate slits to form a hinged locking tab of a generally hourglass form conforming to two adjacent egg pockets when pressed inwardly by the finger, to lock the sleeve to said carton; and

wherein the release flaps in said flat bottom and the associated angular sidewall extend therefrom and conform generally to the form of said locking tab and extend along opposite sides thereof and are hingedly connected to said flat bottom and angular sidewall to accommodate the finger to move said locking tab into a locked position and to be readily withdrawn therefrom.

8. An egg carton in accordance with claim 7, in which the finger receiving opening is placed in said flat bottom inwardly of and in alinement with said locking tab and affording access to said locking tab to accommodate release of said locking tab by the finger. 

